Stand Up. Fight Back.

This isn’t a fight about money. The new war on educators and the working class.

It’s not just in Wisconsin, where an ideologue governor signed into law a devastating budget bill that silences the voices of workers. And it’s not just in Idaho, where partisan politicians scored with an unfunded pay-for-test-score scheme.

And it’s not just in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Alabama, Arizona, Tennessee, and New Jersey — or any of the other states where right-wing activists see the chance to blame educators for a recession created by Wall Street, and an excuse to eliminate the unions who have powerfully advocated for smaller class sizes, student-centered reforms, and adequate education funding.

These poor economic times will pass. But the legacy of these current battles between partisan politicians and public employees will impact classrooms and campuses across this country for years to come. Will you have 42 students in 22 desks in 2015? Will your tax money be paying for private-school tuitions? Will you have a voice in education policy?

It all depends on who wins these critically important state legislative battles. It’ll either be that rich CEO, who freely donated millions to the campaigns of right-wing candidates and expects a little something in return… .

Or it’ll be you. It’ll be teachers, support professionals, parents, and students — who so rarely have a voice in public debate. It’ll be the middle class of America.

“This fight is about giving politicians the unchecked power to make critical decisions about ourselves and our students,” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “Educators are ready to share the pain of getting through this tough economy. But we refuse to surrender our right to a voice at the table."

Who will decide the future of public education?

The battle in Wisconsin was the first to capture national attention. When Republican Gov. Scott Walker decided to dismantle collective bargaining and strip educators of their voice in discussions around class sizes, school funding, vouchers, and other policies, he claimed it was to save the state’s budget. But hundreds of thousands of educators, parents, and students saw truth to that lie.

It wasn’t about the money—because Wisconsin educators agreed to all of Walker’s demands around health benefits and pension contributions. It was about power. It was about crushing unions, the voice of the middle class. And Americans understand that.

But Wisconsin isn’t the only battleground. In Ohio, Senate Bill 5 severely restricts collective bargaining by K-12 and and other public employees and eliminates collective bargaining for many higher education faculty. The bill also abolishes salary schedules in favor of merit pay. In Michigan, an assortment of dangerous bills would gut collective bargaining; require the privatization of school transportation, food service, and custodial services in all districts; freeze salaries, and also require employees to pay 20 percent of health insurance costs.

“I’m terrified at what will happen to me and my colleagues if these bills are passed,” said Indiana teacher Nikki Roberts about bills to collective bargaining rights and eliminate dues deductions. “They prevent the people with the first-hand knowledge about what’s going on in our school buildings — our educators — from providing input about our students learning environment.”

And, in Idaho, the battle with State Superintendent Tom Luna goes beyond collective bargaining and pay-for-test-scores. It’s also about enormous class sizes, teacher layoffs, and his plan to replace actual teachers in classrooms with laptop computers and online courses.

“It is past time for Mr. Luna… to seek input from the people who spend their days in Idaho’s classrooms and their nights and weekends grading papers, and attending school events,” said Idaho Education Association president Sherri Wood. “You can’t put students first if you put teachers last.”

Standing up for students and workers

These are serious battles for the future of education — and the other side has a great deal of money behind it. Corporate interests are fuelling this dedication to dismantling unions and destroying pensions, and also the resurrection in many state legislatures of school voucher plans.

But public education still has one thing going for it — and that’s you.

While hundreds of thousands of public employees have shown their passion at statehouse rallies and protests, you can help without leaving your living room. Sign the national petition at www.educationvotes.org, urging politicians to stop the power struggle, and sit down with educators to work together for sensible solutions.

At the Education Votes Web site, you can sign up as an online volunteer, write directly to legislators, and find NEA’s “Speak Up for Education” Facebook campaign. Also check out your state association’s Facebook page and Web sites.

“Any state could be next, and if we are not willing to stand up for and with others across state borders, who will stand up for ‘me’ when the time comes?” said Janet Yakopatz, an Oregon high school teacher who signed the petition. “I want to make a stand now before it becomes an issue, and I want to help others like me.”

COMMENTS:

I am in a bad space in my work, bt when I report the matter to the department, ouch did not care,, thats why teachers become victims, anyone who can help me where can I report,, beside DD

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Chris | 2011/03/22

On, Wisconsin! America loves you baby!

Pam | 2011/03/20

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Bill | 2011/03/20

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h8rt43 | 2011/03/18

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Andrew | 2011/03/18

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? | 2011/03/17

The "working class" has the power to solve the problem. VOTE those turkeys out of office!!!!

Brainstormer | 2011/03/17

Could someone please edit somewhere - how: A teacher lives on an average teacher salary vs. a CEO and how they live on their salary for one year. The comparison & the right to know would be an eye opener for our general public.
Thinking outside the box.

Pac funds | 2011/03/17

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Maria C. | 2011/03/17

When are we going to get a new contract? Senority should stay in place.

? | 2011/03/17

I'm sick of hearing the left-wing line about "supporting Union causes", when we ALL
know PUBLIC unions spend untold millions that CAUSE increased TAXES to support power grabs by both the unions and their DEMOCRAT henchmen. This perverse cycle has to STOP somewhere before every form of local, state, or Federal government goes bankrupt! Then, the only teacher will be the volunteer teacher!

Coach | 2011/03/17

I'm sick of hearing the left-wing line about "supporting Union causes", when we ALL
know PUBLIC unions spend untold millions that CAUSE increased TAXES to support power grabs by both the unions and their DEMOCRAT henchmen. This perverse cycle has to STOP somewhere before every form of local, state, or Federal government goes bankrupt! Then, the only teacher will be the volunteer teacher!

Coach | 2011/03/17

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Shelly | 2011/03/17

Get involved, teachers! Don't let them take away your rights.

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cookie | 2011/03/17

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Marla Gleason | 2011/03/17

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? | 2011/03/17

You all have it all wrong. What was wrong in WI was that the union dues were collected by the state and went directly into the Democratic coffers who support the same legislators who support the union. A very ugly incestuous relationship.

Gerry P | 2011/03/17

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rick snyder | 2011/03/17

TRUST ME! I WON'T TRY TO BREAK THE UNIONS....REALLY

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This is getting more ridiculous each day I read the reports. Teachers are the scape-goats for what law making bodies fail to do and that is put money into individual schools and classrooms. As long as money is centralized to state and local governments then moved to centralized school districts then classroom infrastructure will not change because through creative budgeting, the money is used mostly for central office administrators with titles that could be deemed as instructional use. The empire of central offices need to be done away with and each school should have parent and teacher boards that spend the money at their schools since they would know exactly what is needed to boost student achievement.It is always mind-boggling to me why the average worker believes that they do not need representation in the work force. Why do they think that unions are not needed to give them a fair voice in the world of work? We the people can be we the stupid at times.

? | 2011/03/17

@ "Lead a horse to water": When did intelligence or competence EVER enter the equation for the GOP? When did wise personal choices EVER enter the equation in the lst 2 years? The people on the other side have only ONE side. Reason, logic, fairness, intelligence, even sanity have NEVER been part of their calculus.

Steve | 2011/03/17

@ Dave And therein lies the problem with stupid people. God alone did it. It sounds strangely like college students under Chairman Mao during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. I paraphrase: One does not need to study medicine to be a doctor. One only needs to study Chairman Mao. China only took a step into the modern world and into reality (sanity) when they abandoned the Cultural Revolution and began valuing education, knowledge, and personal responsibility. Now they re kicking the world's ****.

? | 2011/03/17

One more thought - I've got 3 university degrees and 7 California credentials and 20 years of teaching and administrative experience - comparing my salary to some uneducated private industry yahoo or some charter school teacher with an A.A. is just nuts.

Riffed Teacher | 2011/03/17

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Riffed Teacher | 2011/03/17

I'm better off now that I'm out of the classroom. The stupid republicans and the immoral democrats need to decide between paying good salaries to keep educated and intelligent teachers in the classroom, or accept that not all children need to be well educated by the state. Maybe the republican plan is to stop spending money on minority and special ed. students by forcing out teachers in poor districts who have college degrees and teaching experience.

Kathy | 2011/03/17

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Dave | 2011/03/16

If teachers didn't enable you to have what you have because God did it, then I guess the Dr. didn't heal you, God did. The mechanic didn't fix you car, God did. The farmer didn't grow your food, God did. You owe nothing to your fellow man and have no use for him. It's just you and God.

Name | 2011/03/16

Test

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Dave | 2011/03/16

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? | 2011/03/16

To the person who wrote "Its time the teachers in Wisconsin...": I let me 5th grader read your comment, and he found 13 errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I am [Explicit] that you attended elementary school in this country. You must have been absent a lot because those skills should have been mastered by the 4th grade. Unless every teacher you ever had was in a conspiracy to keep you uneducated, your comment points out what every teacher knows: you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Think about it.

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TeaBasher | 2011/03/16

So the public sector should take cuts like the private sector, and the unions should be destroyed. Your saying that any hope for a decent standard of [Explicit] living should be destroyed in this country? It's every man and woman for themselves, and pity those that have no control over resources or the means of production?
The Republicans mean to run this country into the ground. They mean to create a nation only for the wealthy few. They mean to make this country their playground, while we can dig for scraps. That's why they're giving the rich all the tax breaks, while they suck up all of our money for them to use on helicopters and *******. Supposedly that's called "investing in jobs." The next Revolution is just around the corner. Thank goodness the Republicans have decided to uphold our 2nd Amendment rights....I think, only because they intend to use that on us as well.

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To Hank, good luck with you GOD without a teacher to help you spell it, and to all public sector employees who have the same education as I do, stop whining and pay your fair share of the taxes. I and my colleagues are not your "whipping post".

Rick | 2011/03/16

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molly | 2011/03/16

not true, about the god comment. students may read about god, my second grader brought a story about god and read to the class. I can not preach about god, but I can treat the bible as history.

HANK | 2011/03/16

Teachers didn't enable me to have what I have today. GOD did, and teachers won't let you talk about God in school.

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Sick in Illinois | 2011/03/16

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Bill Dietz | 2011/03/16

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The link to the petition does not work...

Bill Dietz | 2011/03/16

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? | 2011/03/16

Don't you mean to write "if you're working" instead of "if your"?

Caryn | 2011/03/16

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? | 2011/03/16

Did you forget that you had teachers who enabled you to have what you have today? It was the teachers who got you where you are!!

? | 2011/03/16

Teachers should take pay cuts because private employees have? Teachers never made as much money as private employees with equal education. People in private business are now maybe down to what teachers make, so teachers should make less to make the private employees continue to feel superior?

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Maureen Ryan | 2011/03/16

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Ron | 2011/03/16

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Jack | 2011/03/16

Gov. Walker & the republican party will not be satisfied until teachers work week & contact hours are doubled, as well as class sizes. Good luck with people considering entering the teaching profession.

Mark | 2011/03/16

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Mark | 2011/03/16

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indiania | 2011/03/16

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? | 2011/03/16

Its time the teachers in Wisconsin wake up! The union isn't the answer its become part of the problem! America needs to cut costs and that must come from all the citizens!! Including the White house on down. If your working in private company you have already taken big cuts and now its the rest of the countries turn. Wake up and help be part of the solution, instead of the continued problem.

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Barbara | 2011/03/16

How can points of view such as these get across to the general public? That is the problem. The public needs to hear the truth -- not the twisted up "facts" that we see in the Media.

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